Phosphate and the method of making same.



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: s rn a ria a? c c I I PHGfiPHJFtTE AND THE METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

'lhll ll 6,3523.

Application filed July To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. Must WETHER, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Clarksville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Phosphate and the Method of Making Same, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to phosphates and method of making same.

There exists in the United States large quantities of neutral or natural phosphates as mineral and as bones, but owing to the fact that these are tri-basic neutral phosphates of lime, or of aluminum or iron, or are a mixture of these and sand, theyare poor fertilizers as they are but mildly conducive in promoting the growth of plants. Furthermore, owing to the refractory character of these materials, it is practically impossible to fuse. them Without the employment of specially constructed and highly expensive machinery for the purpose.

It is the object of the present invention to render it possible at comparatively low cost, and with any ordinary furnace adapted for the purpose, readily and expeditiously 'to fuse such natural phosphates and to reduce or disintegrate them to a degree of fineness that will best adapt them for use. 7

'lVith the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists generally stated, in the method of treating natural phosphates to render them valuable as fertilizers, which resides in mixing such phosphates with an alkaline material, such as carbonate or fiuorid of lime, and then subjecting the mixture to the action of heat to fuse the mass.

The invent-ion consists; further in a tertilizer consisting of fused natural phosphates and an alkaline material.

In carrying the invention intp effect, natural phosphatic material, either of mineral or bone formation, ismixed with an alkaline material that will render the fusing of the rock an easy matter, such as carbonate or fluorid of lime, and the mass is then subjected to suilicient heat to fuse it, and while in a molten condition. is. run into water,

thereby causing the compound to disinte- Epcciflcatlou c f lletters Patent. I

9y 1mm. Serial NO. d lfiflti i.

Patented Web, n, l lil mess to fit the lizer. To enhance the fertilizing properties of the compound, potash granite or magnesia substance for use as a fertimay be added, and these will'take the place I of the lime in proportion to the potash or magnesia they contain. The amounts 0t" these materials added to the phosphatic substance will depend upon the quantity of phosphatic and silicic acids the rock contains, I

It" is of course known that the admixture of neutral phosphates and an alkalinebase combined with another acid, as for example, neutral tri-basic phosphate of lime and neutral carbonate of lime, sometimes exists in the natural state, but not generally in the right proportions, so that the substance is not a fertilizer and will not become one until suhjected to heat to drive off the weak acid, whereupon anew compound which is alkaline is produced, which is an active plant food.

I have found by actual experience that while certain natural phosphate rocks will contain about 80%ot' phosphate of ,Lime and 20% of silica, iron, and alumina, tether natural phosphate rocks, which may possirock mentioned above, willicontain about 40% of, ,phosphate oflime to of carbonate of lime and about 10% of alumi-' num and iron. 'Now the object of m; invention is to change the conditionuo' the rock so as to render it desirable for use as a fertilizer and to accomplish this change in condition in the cheapest and most convenient manner. To do this I first compound such mixtures of phosphate rock at my command or add. to any available grade of such rock sutlicient carbonate of lime so that the resulting mixture shall contain more than enough lime to satisfy all of the phosphate acid and to an excess of about one fourth. Having secured such a mixture, the same' is heated to a temperature of about 1450 centigrade at which temperature it will readily be fusethwhereupon chemical reaction will take place resulting in the phosphate fertilizer embodying my invention. It will be noted that my process of bly be found in the same locality as the ,1

of silica as an ingredient and the use of this substance is avoided principally. for the reason that while by its use the rock may be and magnesia fused together and reduced 10 fused ata lower temperature, practically all to a powdered condition.

of the phosphate acid will be driven off In testimony that I claim the foregoing thereby detractin from rather than adding as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signa- 5 to the quality of t e fertilizer. ture in the presence of two witnesses.

I claim 2- 4 CHARLES NICHOLAS MEKIWE'IHER. vAs a new article of manufacture, a ferti- Witnesses: lizer consisting of phosphatic material hav- W. M. PONDER,

ing an excess of lime, an alkaline substance W. J. DICKERSON. 

